Pursuing Holiness, Respecting Others

Today, I read back over this post from January.

http://firstthingsfirst5.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-word-focus-2011-holiness.html

As we began 2011, I challenged our family to adopt the word "holiness" as our one word focus for the year. Rather than bite off a huge chunk of meat that might cause most of us to choke, I invited each one to seek God and ask Him to reveal one area to work on. If our home is to become a place of holiness, we all need to strive for His ways each and every day. In January we made our list.

Mom--Stop raising my voice.
Dad--Stop raising his voice.
B--Stop blowing up in anger.
C--Stop complaining when asked to do chores.
J--Stop picking on others.

This morning as we ate breakfast, I brought out this list and asked each one to rate himself on a scale of one to ten, one being "I haven't grown at all in this area," ten being "I'm perfect and you are lucky to be in my family!" It was very enlightening to see how different ones rated themselves. We were able to encourage each other in the areas where growth is obvious and spur one another on in the areas that need attention.

I challenged each of us to continue working on these specific concerns, but added one item to our list. I feel that, as a unit, it's time to learn more about respect. In a house full of boys, there is constant kidding, teasing, jabbing, picking, "joshing," "schooling," "razzing," joking and overall craziness. I want the boys to have fun and enjoy life, but when humor is biting and stinging, I draw a definite line! When sarcasm and crude humor come into play, mama waves a red flag, "Warning! Danger! Do not go there." I simply do not buy into the "boys will be boys" mentality. Not in my house! In my house, boys will be men and I want those boys (and those men) to grow up to be godly, holy, compassionate and caring souls. I may get pegged at being a "party pooper," but I care more about how my sons act and who they become than I care about being a "cool mom."

To illustrate God's passion for respect, D chose the passage from 2 Kings 2. The prophet of God was being mocked by children and this is how that story ended..." From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria." I would derive this passage that God has a lot to say about respect!

What did the B boys learn this morning? Respect others. Or a bear may eat you. It's really that simple!